The present invention relates to a carriage suspension or suspension arrangement for rail vehicles, including at least two annular rubber or elastomeric shock absorbers, each of which is disposed between a mandrel and a bell-shaped element.
Suspension arrangements of the aforementioned general type are known. However, they have the drawback that the elastomeric shock absorbers have a limited spring deflection in the vertical direction, i.e. in the direction of their rolling motion between mandrel and bell-shaped element; in addition, the shock absorbers are very stiff in the direction transverse to this main direction of shock absorption. This is due to the fact that in this direction the material of the elastomeric shock absorbers is primarily subjected to compression. Furthermore, the shock absorption effect in all directions transverse to the main direction of shock absorption is the same.
With this heretofore known type of suspension arrangement, on the one hand the limitation of the spring deflection in the main direction of shock absorption can be a drawback; on the other hand, in particular the insufficient shock absorption effect, which is the same in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the vehicle, is not satisfactory for the operating behavior of the rail vehicle because it is impossible to have an optimum shock absorption and damping, especially of the lateral contact impacts of the wheels against the rails. It is also impossible with the known suspension arrangements to radially adjust the assembly or wheel sets when traveling through curves. Thus, not only the traveling comfort but also the wear characteristics of the heretofore known arrangements are unsatisfactory.
A number of constructions have been proposed in order to avoid the drawbacks of the aforementioned suspension arrangements. With these proposals, annular elastomeric shock absorbers are combined with elastomeric layered springs, steel springs, pneumatic shock absorbers, and linkage or lever arrangements in order to be able to use, as the main shock absorption element, the elastomeric shock absorber with its positive characteristics, and in order to avoid the aforementioned drawbacks with respect to stiffness in a direction transverse to the main direction of shock absorption.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a suspension arrangement having at least two annular elastomeric shock absorbers, with such a suspension, at the least possible expense, having an optimum adjustability of the assembly in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the vehicle, and having a greater spring deflection in the main direction of shock adsorption.